Mission Statement: The mission of the Midwest HIDTA is to measurably reduce and disrupt the importation, distribution, and clandestine manufacturing of methamphetamine in the six state region and other parts of the United States, thereby reducing the impact of illicit drugs and related violent criminal activity. The initiatives of the Midwest HIDTA support the National Drug Control Strategy and, in particular, Goal 2, which addresses the need to increase the safety of America's citizens by substantially reducing drug-related crime and violence.

The Midwest HIDTA, designated in 1996, addresses the explosive problems of methamphetamine in a six state region consisting of counties in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. The region's position in the "Heart of America" provides a fertile environment for the production and distribution of methamphetamine that is either produced locally or imported primarily by Mexican organizations. The region is predominantly rural with an economy firmly rooted in an agricultural related industry that employs thousands of Mexican-Americans and Mexican Nationals who are often exploited by trafficking organizations in their effort to import and set up methamphetamine distribution networks. Additionally, an abundance of jobs available in food and cleaning services, the roofing industry, and meatpacking plants has resulted in an increase in illegal aliens who often facilitate
methamphetamine importation. Clandestine manufacturing operations occur in rural, metropolitan and suburban areas.

Strategy Abstract:

The importation and distribution of methamphetamine is common in all states, however, the clandestine manufacturing phenomenon is currently concentrated in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and more recently, Nebraska. Local methamphetamine production is considered an important public safety and health hazard to citizens in the region. The HIDTA Strategy is implemented through several components. Each state, through designated Advisory Boards has identified threat, determined mission, and developed strategies and initiatives. The Midwest HIDTA Executive Committee and the Midwest HIDTA Director, in cooperation with the Boards, coordinate the integration and synchronization of all participating agencies' initiatives to ensure a regional unified effort.

The Midwest HIDTA Executive Committee is made up of executives from twelve federal and twelve state/local criminal justice agencies. The committee, selected by their peers consistent with guidance from ONDCP, provides oversight, policy guidance, review and approval of all 38 initiatives and budgets submitted to ONDCP.

Investigative Support Center:

An integral component in the Midwest HIDTA Strategy is the need to enhance and increase the free exchange of narcotics intelligence and information among all HIDTA participants and other agencies throughout the region. An acknowledged weakness of the Midwest enforcement effort is the insufficient dissemination of timely, actionable intelligence/information regarding the activities of drug traffickers and clandestine laboratory operators. The Midwest HIDTA will attempt to dramatically improve the collection, analysis, and dissemination of methamphetamine intelligence and information by instituting a "systems network" of sharing throughout the area. The Midwest HIDTA will coordinate this effort with national intelligence centers such as the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) and the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC). Partnerships will also be developed with other HIDTA's such as the Southwest Border HIDTA and the Rocky Mountain HIDTA, source areas for much of the methamphetamine brought into the Midwest by trafficking organizations from the southwest border area. The Midwest HIDTA Investigative Support Center (MHISC) will be the mechanism to implement these improvements.

The Midwest Investigative Support Center's mission is to facilitate and assist HIDTA task forces and other federal, state, and local enforcement agencies within the region in identifying, targeting and dismantling organizations distributing and/or manufacturing methamphetamine. This will be accomplished by actively collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information and intelligence in a timely manner.

Initiatives that were approved to implement the 2000 Midwest HIDTA Strategy include:

Midwest HIDTA Investigative Support Centerassists HIDTA task forces and other federal, state, and local enforcement agencies within the region in exchanging information/intelligence, linking each of the five states electronically, continually evaluating
the threat in the region, and providing case support, post-seizure analysis, investigative support and trend analysis.

Tri-State, Sioux City Task Forcea co-located, multi-agency task force with members from Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska law enforcement agencies who collaborate to target the importation, manufacturing, and distribution of methamphetamine in the region.

Kansas Bureau of Investigation Enforcement Supporttwo multi-agency task forces who provide operational support for the narcotics units of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and investigate methamphetamine producers and traffickers in the state of Kansas.

Kansas City Metropolitan Enforcement Task Forcea co-located, multi-agency task force who targets and investigates clandestine labs, repeat offenders, and precursor chemical sources, and methamphetamine suppliers in order to measurably reduce methamphetamine manufacturing, importation, distribution, and associated violent crime in a six county area.

FBI, Kansas City, Kansas JDIGa multi-agency, co-located task force that will reduce the importation and distribution of methamphetamine in the Kansas City, Kansas metropolitan area through the use of long-term investigations.

Missouri Metropolitan and Rural Enforcement Initiativeassists in the implementation of a coordinated and cooperative enforcement strategy among the multi-jurisdictional task forces and law enforcement clandestine laboratories to improve their ability to identify and combat the distribution and clandestine manufacturing of methamphetamine.

St. Louis DEA Intel Groupprovides investigative intelligence regarding methamphetamine to HIDTA task forces by working in conjunction with the DEA.

Metro Task Force, Omaha Nebraskaenhances and provides direct support to the anti-methamphetamine effort in Omaha Nebraska by improving enforcement capabilities of a multi-agency task force.

Tri-City Task Force, Grand Islandenhances and provides direct support to the anti-methamphetamine effort in the Grand Island Nebraska area.

Lincoln-Lancaster Task Forceenhances and provides support to the anti-methamphetamine effort in the Lincoln Nebraska area.

WING Drug and Violent Crime Task Forceenhances and provides support to the anti-methamphetamine effort in the Nebraska Panhandle area.

III Corp Drug and Violent Crime Task Forceenhances and provides support to the anti-methamphetamine effort in the Dodge county Nebraska area.

South Dakota DCI Investigative Supportcoordinates methamphetamine efforts in South Dakota through increased investigations, providing officer training and an intelligence analyst to increase the number of investigations and prosecutions related to methamphetamine.

Sioux Falls Meth Task Forcea co-located state and local task force, with non-collocated participation from several other local, state, and federal agencies, target methamphetamine manufacturing, importation, and distribution organizations operating in Sioux Falls and other parts of South Dakota.

Pennington County Meth Task Forcea co-located state and local task force, with non-collocated participation from several other local, state, and federal agencies, target methamphetamine manufacturing, importation, and distribution organizations operating in Pennington County and other parts of South Dakota.

North Dakota BCI Enforcementcoordinates methamphetamine efforts in North Dakota through increased investigations, providing officer training and an intelligence analyst to increase the number of investigations and prosecutions related to methamphetamine.

Grand Forks County Task Forcea multi-jurisdictional state and local task force operating in the Grand Forks area, targeting methamphetamine trafficking and violent crime.

DEA Task Force Fargoa collocated federal, state, and local task force serving as a focal point of enforcement efforts in southeast North Dakota. The task force consists of officers from 9 local, state, and federal agencies.

DEA Regional Enforcement/Investigations Supportenhances coordination, support and enhancement of all Midwest HIDTA efforts by contributing DEA's national and international expertise to investigate, arrest, and prosecute, key members of methamphetamine importation, distribution and manufacturing organizations.

Forensic Laboratory Enhancementseveral law enforcement chemists, under the direction of DEA, are assigned to various labs in the Midwest HIDTA states to reduce delay in processing of analysis of methamphetamine exhibits and increases law enforcement analytical abilities, through expedited on-site lab analysis of evidence.

Special Assistant United States Attorneyenhances the resources of United States Attorney's Offices in the six Midwest HIDTA states to aggressively prosecute methamphetamine cases and to cross-designate state prosecutors when appropriate.

Regional/State Demand Reduction Initiativelaw enforcement agencies in collaboration with anti-drug agencies collaborate to expand public awareness regarding the consequences of illicit drug use, methamphetamine in particular, and provides education and training targeting youths and their families in the six state area.

Outcomes:

Enhanced and increased the regional collection and dissemination of illegal narcotics and methamphetamine related intelligence/information. Improved the ability of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies to identify, target, arrest, and prosecute key individuals involved in drug distribution and/or clandestine manufacturing of methamphetamine. Improved the utilization of Midwest HIDTA resources through continual updates of the regional methamphetamine threat assessment. Significantly reduced the number of individuals within the region actively involved in narcotic distribution and/or clandestine manufacturing of methamphetamine and related criminal activities. Reduced the time required by federal/state laboratories to process illegal narcotic and methamphetamine exhibits and improves their analytical capabilities. Increase on-site laboratory seizure support resulting in enhanced officer safety and improved identification and collection of evidence. Enhanced federal and state prosecution of methamphetamine cases and encourage greater cooperation between federal, state, local prosecutors throughout the region. Increased in the number of narcotic trafficking organizations and/or clandestine methamphetamine laboratory operators immobilized, resulting in a reduction in the supply of methamphetamine and illegal narcotics throughout the region. Assisted HIDTA Task forces and Law Enforcement Agencies in fulfilling their community awareness mission. Increased family and community awareness regarding the dangers of methamphetamine abuse thus reducing the use of methamphetamine throughout the region. Improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the Midwest HIDTA resulting in a measurable reduction in the distribution of illegal narcotics and clandestine manufacturing of methamphetamine and related criminal activity throughout the region.

Participating Agencies:

Federal: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Defense Joint Task Force Six, United States Attorney's Office (Northern and Southern District of Iowa, District of Kansas, Western and Eastern Districts of Missouri, District of Nebraska, District of North Dakota, and District of South Dakota), United States Marshal Service, United States Postal Service, United States Food and Drug Administration, United States Housing and Urban Development

State: Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa National Guard, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Kansas National Guard, Missouri Department of Public Safety, Missouri National Guard, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Nebraska State Patrol, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, South Dakota National Guard, South Dakota State Attorney's Office, South Dakota Attorney General's Office